System and method for wireless communication to permit audience participation

ABSTRACT

User equipment (UE) includes a short-range transceiver configured for communication with a plurality of wireless access points (APs) distributed throughout a venue. The individual UEs can communicate with the venue via the APs. The UEs can be configured to play interactive games with the venue, some of which may be displayed on the large screen in the venue and others that are displayed on the display of the UE. Data may be sent to the UEs individually or in groups. The data may be in the form of advertising, text messaging, images, video, multimedia, or the like. An array of UEs can receive portions of an overall image and function as individual pixels in a large display.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/834,001filed on Mar. 15, 2013, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/363,943 filed on Feb. 1, 2012, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/093,998 filed onApr. 26, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,995,923, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/958,296 filed onDec. 1, 2010, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser.No. 12/616,958 filed on Nov. 12, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,190,119,which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/397,225filed on Mar. 3, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,970,351, the entiredisclosures and content of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed generally to wireless communicationdevices and, more particularly, to a system and method of networkmanagement to permit audience interaction with a venue using wirelesscommunication devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Wireless communication networks have become commonplace. A vast array ofbase stations is provided by a number of different wireless serviceproviders. Wireless communication devices, such as cell phones, personalcommunication system (PCS) devices, personal digital assistant (PDA)devices, and web-enabled wireless devices communicate with the variousbase stations using one or more known communication protocols. Whileearly cell phone devices were limited to analog operation and voice-onlycommunication, modern wireless devices use digital signal protocols andhave sufficient bandwidth to enable the transfer of voice signals, imagedata, and even video streaming. In addition, web-enabled devices providenetwork access, such as Internet access.

In all cases, the individual wireless communication devices communicatewith one or more base stations. Even when two wireless communicationdevices are located a few feet from each other, there is no directcommunication between the wireless devices. That is, the wirelessdevices communicate with each other via one or more base stations andother elements of the wireless communication network.

Some wireless service providers have included push-to-talk (PTT)technology that allows group members to communicate with each otherusing PTT technology. Thus, when one group member presses the PTTbutton, the communication from that individual is automaticallytransmitted to the communication devices of other group members. Whilethis gives the appearance of direct communication between the wirelessdevices, the communications between group members are also relayed viaone or more base stations as part of the wireless network.

Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a need for wirelesscommunication devices that can communicate directly with nearby wirelessdevices. The present invention provides this, and other advantages, aswill be apparent from the following detailed description andaccompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is an example network architecture of a dynamic networkillustrating communication between user equipment, wireless accesspoints, and a wireless service provider network.

FIG. 2 is functional block diagram of one of the wireless communicationdevices of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a venue with a large number of distributed wirelessaccess points.

FIG. 4 illustrates a system architecture in which a venue communicateswith a Cloud network.

FIG. 5 illustrates the Cloud network of FIG. 4 communicating withmultiple venues.

FIG. 6 illustrates a large array of wireless access points distributedthroughout a sports venue.

FIG. 7 illustrate an array of wireless access points throughout a cruiseship venue.

FIG. 8 illustrates an array of wireless access points distributedthroughout a concert venue.

FIG. 9 illustrates a group of user equipment devices receiving imagescontrolled by a venue.

FIG. 10 illustrates an array of user equipment devices receivingportions of image data that collectively form a large display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The system described herein extends the normal operational features ofconventional wireless communication devices. As described above, theconventional wireless communication device sometimes referred to as userequipment (UE) communicates with a wireless communication network basestation using a first transceiver (i.e., a network transceiver). Theextended capabilities described herein provide a second transceiverdevice that allows UEs to communicate directly with each other over ashort distance and further describes network management techniquescapable of managing a dynamic network that may change quickly. The termUE is intended to include any wireless communication device capable ofprocessing audio, video, and text messaging. This includes smart phones,laptops, PDAs, computer tablets (e.g., an iPad™) and the like.

The wireless communication devices are illustrated as part of a system100 illustrated in the system architecture in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustratesUEs 400-404 in a venue such as a shopping mall. The UE 400 uses anetwork transceiver 166 (see FIG. 2) to communicate with a radio accessnetwork (RAN) 406. The RAN 406 is intended to generically represent abase station and any associated support circuitry. The UE 400establishes a wireless communication link 408 with the RAN 406 in aconventional manner. The RAN 406 is illustrative of the networktransceiver portion of wireless networks, sometimes referred to as apublic land mobile network (PLMN) 102 that may be successfullyimplemented using, by way of example, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, UMTS, 3G, 4G,LTE, and the like. The system 100 is not limited by any specificcommunication protocol for the PLMN 102. FIG. 1 also illustrates thatthe RAN 406 is part of the PLMN 102.

FIG. 1 also illustrates wireless communication links 410-412 couplingthe UE 400 with access points (APs) 416-418, respectively. In a typicalshopping mall setting, the APs 416-418 may typically be associated withdifferent stores in the shopping mall. As such, the APs associated withdifferent stores will each have a different feature set and arecontrolled by a separate server. Each AP may have its own operationalpolicy and policy server or policy engine. In addition, each AP may ormay not allow device-to-device communication (i.e., communicationbetween the UEs). Furthermore, each AP may or may not allow access tothe Internet (e.g., the network 110). For example, the AP 416 may or maynot allow the UE 400 to access the network 110 based on the particularpolicies implemented by the AP 416.

In one embodiment, the UE (e.g., the UE 400) must log on and registerwith each AP (e.g., the AP 416) in order to establish the wirelesscommunication link 410 to receive ads or other content from the AP 416.As the UE 400 moves into range of another AP (e.g., the AP 428), the UE400 can perform another log on and authentication process with the newAP. In an alternative embodiment, described in greater detail below, thevarious stores may become part of a larger Cloud network and permitautomatic authentication of a UE whenever it comes within range of theAP.

FIG. 1 also illustrates the UE 404 communicating with the AP 418 via thewireless communication link 420. The UE 402 also communicates with theAP 418 via a wireless communication link 422. In FIG. 1, the UE 402establishes wireless communication links 424-426 with APs 428-430,respectively. In the example if FIG. 1, the AP 428 and the AP 430 may beco-located in the same store and are coupled to a server 432. In thisembodiment, the two APs 428-430 form a network back bone that creates atether for multiple phones within the store in which the APs arelocated. As the customer moves throughout the store, the UE 402 willconnect to the AP 428 or the AP 430 depending on the signal strength. Ifother UEs come within range of the APs 428-430, the UEs may communicatefor the all the purposes described above either directly or via the WiFiAP mesh network formed by the APs 428-430.

As will be described in greater detail below, the server 432 may controlthe flow of data to and from the UE 402 via the AP 428 and/or the AP430. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the APs (e.g., the AP416) can be implemented in a variety of fashions. In one embodiment, theAP 416 may be directly coupled to a service provider. For example, theAP 416 may be implemented as a cable modem with a wireless connectivityfor the UE 400. In another embodiment, the AP 416 may be coupled to acomputer (not shown) which controls operation of the AP 416 as well ascontrolling communications with the network 110. In this embodiment, thenetwork 110 may be a wide area network, such as the Internet.

In addition to the various wireless communication links between the UE400 and the RAN 406 and/or the AP 416-418, the UE 400 can establish awireless communication link 434 with the UE 402. The wirelesscommunication link 434 is established using the short-range transceiver176 (see FIG. 2) thus permitting the UE 400 and 402 to establish theshort-range communication network 116.

In the example of FIG. 1, the AP 416 and AP 418 may be access points fordifferent businesses. As the UE 400 moves within range of the AP 416,the wireless communication link 410 is established and the AP 416 maydisseminate business information, such as messages, coupons,advertisements, and the like. Similarly, when the UE 400 moves withinrange of the AP 418, the wireless communication link 412 is establishedand the UE 400 may receive business information from the AP 418. As willbe described in detail below, some or all of the message data receivedfrom the AP 416 via the wireless communication link 410 may be relayedfrom the UE 400 to the UE 402 via the wireless communication link 434.Thus, message data from the business associated with the AP 416 may bedisseminated to other UEs (the UE 402 in FIG. 1) via the short rangecommunication network 116. As will be discussed in detail below, a UEmay serve as a hot spot in a short-range communication network 116.However, in some settings, such as the shopping mall example illustratedin FIG. 1, there is generally sufficient coverage provided by the APsspread throughout the shopping mall. Thus, the short-range communicationnetworks may typically be established using an AP. As will be discussedin greater detail below, a verification system can be used to assure theauthenticity of the information received by the UE 400 from the AP 416and the AP 418.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrative of one of the UEs400-404 illustrated in FIG. 1 (e.g., the UE 400). The UE 400 includes acentral processing unit (CPU) 150. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the CPU 150 may be implemented as a conventionalmicroprocessor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digitalsignal processor (DSP), programmable gate array (PGA), or the like. TheUE 400 is not limited by the specific form of the CPU 150.

The UE 400 in FIG. 2 also contains a memory 152. In general, the memory152 stores instructions and data to control operation of the CPU 150.The memory 152 may include random access memory, ready-only memory,programmable memory, flash memory, and the like. The UE 400 is notlimited by any specific form of hardware used to implement the memory152. The memory 152 may also be integrally formed in whole or in partwith the CPU 150.

The UE 400 of FIG. 2 also includes conventional components, such as adisplay 154 and a keypad or keyboard 156. These are conventionalcomponents that operate in a known manner and need not be described ingreater detail. Other conventional components found in wirelesscommunication devices, such as a USB interface, Bluetooth interface,infrared device, and the like, may also be included in the UE 400. Forthe sake of clarity, these conventional elements are not illustrated inthe functional block diagram of FIG. 2.

The UE 400 of FIG. 2 also includes a network transmitter 162 such as maybe used by the UE 400 for the conventional wireless communicationnetwork with the RAN 406 (see FIG. 1). FIG. 2 also illustrates a networkreceiver 164 that operates in conjunction with the network transmitter162 to communicate with the RAN 406. In a typical embodiment, thenetwork transmitter 162 and network receiver 164 share circuitry and areimplemented as a network transceiver 166. The network transceiver 166 isconnected to an antenna 168. The network transceiver 166 is illustratedas a generic transceiver. As previously noted, the mobile communicationdevices (e.g., the UEs 400-402) may be implemented in accordance withany known wireless communication protocol including, but not limited to,CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, UMTS, 3G, 4G, WiMAX, LTE, or the like. Operation ofthe network transceiver 166 and the antenna 168 for communication withthe PLMN 102 is well-known in the art and need not be described ingreater detail herein.

The UE 400 of FIG. 2 also includes a short-range transmitter 172 that isused by the UE for direct communication with other jump-enabled wirelesscommunication devices (e.g., the UE 402 of FIG. 1). FIG. 2 alsoillustrates a short-range receiver 174 that operates in conjunction withthe short-range transmitter 172 to communicate directly with otherjump-enabled wireless communication devices (e.g., the UE 402 of FIG.1). In a typical embodiment, the short-range transmitter 172 andshort-range receiver 174 are implemented as a short-range transceiver176. The short-range transceiver 176 is connected to an antenna 178. Inan exemplary embodiment, the antennas 168 and 178 may have commoncomponents are implemented as a single antenna.

FIG. 2 also illustrates an imaging device 180. As is well known withmodern communication devices, the imaging device is typically a solidstate (e.g., CCD) imaging device and lens. The imaging device 180 iscapable of still images or video images. As will be described in detailbelow, the imaging device is used for audience interaction with a venue.Images captured by the imaging device 180 may include data, such as timeand location data related to the capture of the image or video data.

The various components illustrated in FIG. 2 are coupled together by abus system 186. The bus system may include an address bus, data bus,power bus, control bus, and the like. For the sake of convenience, thevarious busses in FIG. 2 are illustrated as the bus system 186.

In an exemplary embodiment, the short-range transceiver 176 may bedesigned for operation in accordance with IEEE standard 802.11,sometimes referred to as WiFi. Many modern wireless communicationdevices are equipped with WiFi and may be readily upgraded to supportthe functionality described herein. A technique for establishing directcommunication between the UEs using WiFi is described in U.S.application Ser. No. 12/397,225, filed on Mar. 3, 2009, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,970,351. As described therein, the UEs will establish a directwireless communication link whenever they are within proximity of eachother. In FIG. 1, the UE 400 and UE 402 are within range of each otherand establish the wireless communication link 434 directly between theUEs, thus dynamically forming a short-range communication network 116.Because the UEs 400-402 all include WiFi capability, a short-rangecommunication network 116 may be formed even though the UEs may bedesigned to operate with incompatible PLMNs 102. For example, the UE 400may be configured for operation with a GSM implementation of the PLMN102 while the UE 402 may be configured for operation with a CDMAimplementation of a PLMN. Even though the UEs 400-402 are incompatiblewith respect to the respective PLMNs 102, the UEs 400-402 may stillcommunicate directly with each other via the short-range communicationnetwork 116. Thus, the UEs may operate compatibly to form theshort-range communication networks 116 even though the networktransceivers 166 (see FIG. 2) may operate with different incompatiblePLMNs.

Various techniques for establishing the short-range communicationnetwork 116 (see FIG. 1) are described in U.S. application Ser. No.12/397,225 filed on Mar. 3, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,970,351, U.S.application Ser. No. 12/616,958 filed on Nov. 12, 2009, U.S. applicationSer. No. 12/958,296, filed on Dec. 1, 2010, and U.S. application Ser.No. 13/093,988 filed on Apr. 26, 2011, the entire disclosures andcontent of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

As will be discussed in greater detail below, the system 100 goes beyondsome of the conventional operation of WiFi standards to permit a largenumber of UEs to communicate directly with each other. In oneembodiment, a local hot spot is used to initiate the formation of theshort-range communication network 116. Once established, the short-rangecommunication network 116 may continue to exist even if the hot spot (orgroup owner) is no longer present. In yet another alternativeembodiment, described below, the UEs may be pre-programmed to utilize acommon SSID, IPrange, and port to spontaneously form a short-rangecommunication network 116 even in the absence of any hot spot.

In an exemplary embodiment of the system 100, each UE (e.g., the UEs400-404) transmits a beacon signal with the same SSID, such as the SSID“JUMMMP” to identify the device. In addition, the beacon frame includesseveral other data fields such as a media access layer (MAC) address forsource and destination. In the beacon frame, the destination MAC addressis set to all ones to force other wireless communication devices toreceive and process the beacon frame. The beacon frame used in thesystem 100 may also include conventional elements, such as a time stampused for synchronization with other wireless devices, information onsupported data rates, parameter sets that indicate, for example,transceiver operational parameters such as the IEEE 802.11 channelnumber and signaling method such as operation at the physical layer(PHY) and operation in a direct frequency spectrum (DSSS) or a frequencyhopping spread spectrum (FHSS) operational modes. These conventionalWiFi parameters are known in the art and need not be described ingreater detail herein.

In addition, when there is no access point, all jump-enabled wirelesscommunication devices take on the responsibilities of the MAC layer thatcontrols, manages, and maintains the communication between thejump-enabled wireless communication devices by coordinating access tothe shared radio channel and the protocols that operate over thewireless medium. In an exemplary embodiment, the MAC is implemented inaccordance with IEEE 802.2. At the PHY layer, the transceiver mayoperate in a DSSS or a FHSS operational mode. Alternatively, the PHYlayer may be implemented using infrared transceivers. The IEEE 802.11standard defines a common operation whether devices are using the ad hocor the infrastructure mode. The use of the ad hoc mode only affectsprotocols, so there is no impact on the PHY layer. Thus, the wirelesscommunication device 120 may operate under IEEE 802.11a at 5 gigahertz(GHz) under IEEE 802.11b/g at 2.4 GHz, or IEEE 802.11n, which operatesat both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe wireless communication device of the system 100 may be readilyadapted for operation with future versions of IEEE 802.11.

In an alternative embodiment, the wireless communication devices 120-128may be configured in accordance with IEEE WiFi Direct standards. WiFiDirect allows any wireless communication device in the short-rangecommunication network 116 to function as the group owner. WiFi Directsimplifies the process of establishing a communication link. Forexample, the WiFi protected set up allows a communication link to beestablished by entering a PIN or other identification or, simplypressing a button. As will be described herein, the UEs actively seek toestablish links with other UEs to automatically establish a short-rangecommunication network 116.

The system 100 permits the exchange of messages data directly betweenUEs and between a UE and an AP. In an exemplary embodiment, the messagesmay be categorized as Public Messages, Group Messages, Direct Messages,and Status Messages. Public Messages may be transmitted to anyone withinrange of the UE (e.g., the UE 120). This may include emergency messages,messages broadcast from a retailer, and the like. Group Messages areintended for a specific group or organization, such as a scout group oremployees of a particular company or any formed group. Direct Messagesare private messages intended for a specific individual. In addition,the UE 120 may transmit Status Messages, which can include, by way ofexample, a list of other UEs in the particular short-range communicationnetwork 116, a list of recent UEs in the particular short-rangecommunication network, a list of other short-range communicationnetworks in which the wireless communication device was recently amember, or the like. The data message process described above caninclude one or more of these message categories. Other messagecategories may be created as necessary.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/093,998, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHODFOR MANAGEMENT OF A DYNAMIC NETWORK USING WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONDEVICES,” FILED ON Apr. 26, 2011, and incorporated by reference in itsentirety, provides additional details of the message exchange process.As described therein, the Public and Group Messages may be contained inone file and all Direct Messages contained in a separate file. Themessages have a main header and individual message headers. The mainheader may include, by way of example, the date/time of the lastmodification, message count, the date/time of the last synchronizationand the user name of the wireless communication device with which thelast synchronization was performed. This information may help maintainsynchronization between UEs.

The message data may include, but is not limited to, text message data,audio data, video data, multimedia data, or the like. As those skilledin the art will appreciate, Public Messages may be received andprocessed by any wireless communication device. In contrast, GroupMessages may only be processed by a member of the designated group,while a Direct Message may only be processed by the individual UE forwhom the message is intended.

Synchronization may occur directly between the UEs or via the accesspoint 418 illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, message synchronizationcan occur between the UE 400 and the UE 404 using the AP 418. Inaddition, UEs can carry message data as they move from one short-rangecommunication network 116 to another.

In another embodiment, a retail business may broadcast Public Messagesto nearby UEs. In an exemplary embodiment, the retail facility can setup a wireless access point (e.g., the wireless access point 428 inFIG. 1) to establish a short-range communication network 116. Forexample, a retail facility in a shopping mall can use the AP 430 in FIG.1 to transmit advertisement messages to nearby wireless communicationdevices (e.g., the UE 402). In a typical embodiment, these would bePublic Messages that are freely relayed from one UE to another (e.g.,from the UE 402 to the UE 400) and from one short-range wirelesscommunication network 116 to another. Using this form of messagedistribution, an advertisement from a retail facility will soon bedisseminated to all wireless users in the area. The advertisements maytake the form of text messages or any other data message describedabove.

In another aspect, an individual user may register with a business.Whenever the user comes within range of the short-range communicationnetwork 116 associated with the retail business, message data may beexchanged thus enabling the business to identify a particular user thatis nearby. In this embodiment, the retail business may send a privateadvertisement message to the particular user. The private advertisementmay be customized for the user based on a number of factors, such as theuser's profile (e.g., the sex, age, and interests of the user), priorshopping patterns, or the like. It can also be based on statistical andhistory data that the retail business has collected on the user in oneor more short-range communication networks 116 in the region around theretail business. For example, if a particular user has registered with arestaurant and comes within range of the short-range communicationnetwork 116 of that restaurant at a subsequent time after registration,the restaurant can send a private advertisement message to entice thatuser into the restaurant by offering a discount on a meal previouslypurchased by that user. If the user is a sports enthusiast, a sports barcould send a message that a particular sporting event (e.g., the user'scollege football team) is ongoing and offer a discount on a meal. Inthis manner, highly customized advertisements may be sent to individualusers.

In some situations, the user may not be within range of the short-rangecommunication network 116 of the restaurant, but may still be nearby.Because the UEs in the various short-range communication networks 116relay messages, any message from a particular user may be relayed to theretail business via one or more short-range communication networks 116.Thus, a business at one end of a mall may detect the arrival of aparticular user at the opposite end of the mall and still transmit acustomized advertisement message to that user.

In another example application of the system 100, a business may utilizethe short-range communication networks 116 to disseminate businessinformation in the form of messages, coupons, advertisements, and thelike. In addition, a wireless communication device may communicate withmultiple vendors within a particular venue and receive information thatvaries from one venue to another.

The user of a conventional wireless communication device can search fora wireless access point and connect to that access point, as is commonin public areas, such as an airport terminal, coffee shop, or the like.The goal of this connection is generally to provide Internet access.However, the UEs described herein can include an application programinterface (API) that can be programmed into the UE at the time ofmanufacture or downloaded in a conventional manner. Some functionalityof the API will be described herein. A more complete description of theAPI is provided by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/093,998 andtitled System and Method for Management of a Dynamic Network UsingWireless Communication Devices, filed on Apr. 26, 2011 and incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety. The API becomes part of theoperating system in that it is always executing in the background. Inthis manner, the API is different from a conventional applicationsoftware program that must be activated by the user. In one aspect, theAPI includes a “heartbeat” signal that periodically communicates withany available AP and provides identification data, location data and thelike. In addition, the API advantageously simplifies authentication ofthe UE whenever it enters a venue that is part of the system describedherein.

In FIG. 1, the UE 402 has established wireless communication links424-426 with the APs 428-430, respectively. As noted above, these APsmay be in a large business. As the user moves from one department toanother or from one store level to another, he may move in or out ofrange of one AP or the other. Thus, the information provided to the UE402 may be customized for the user based on the user's current locationwithin the business.

FIG. 3 illustrates a large venue 440, such as a casino. In such a largevenue, there may be related businesses 442-446 located within or nearthe venue 440. In the casino example, the related business 442 may be aperformance venue for singers, comedy acts, and the like. The relatedbusiness 444 may be a nightclub while the related business 446 may be arestaurant.

Due to the large size of the venue 440, it may be necessary to deploy anetwork of APs, illustrated by the reference number 448. The positionand coverage area of the APs 448 can be determined based on theparticular hardware implementation. The actual distribution andinstallation of the APs 448 within the venue 440 is within theengineering knowledge of one skilled in the art and need not bedescribed in greater detail herein.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, all of the APs 448 may be coupled to aserver (e.g., the server 432 in FIG. 1) or a gateway 450 (see FIG. 4).As the UE 400 moves throughout the venue 440, it is making and breakingwireless communication devices with one or more of the APs 448. Theidentity of the UE 400 can be verified by the UE providing a profile anduser information and signing up for the WiFi service and downloading theAPI in exchange for free WiFi service. Initially this may beaccomplished through a portal page, as will be described in greaterdetail below.

Once the identity of the UE 400 has been verified, the server 432 canprovide customized messages to the owner of the UE 400. While the UE 400remains within the venue 440, it is in substantially continuous contactwith the APs 448 and may receive data therefrom. For example, the UE 400could receive an ad for free or discounted tickets to the performancevenue 442 or an invitation to happy hour at the nightclub venue 444 or adiscounted meal at the restaurant venue 446. If the owner of a UE 400 isnot a registered guest at a hotel within the venue 440, the APs 448could send an invitation or ad to book a room in the venue 440. The UE400 can communicate with the server 432 via the APs 448 to accept one ormore of the ad offers. For example, the UE 400 could transmit anacceptance and book tickets at the performance venue 442. Similarly, theuser of the UE 400 can book a room in the venue 440.

The venue 440 can establish virtually continuous wireless communicationlinks with the UE 400 and provide a stream of ad content (e.g., ads,offers, discounts, etc.) for the venue 440 and the related businesses442-446. Thus, the stream of ad data to the UE 400 may be for the venue440 and the related businesses 442-446. Alternatively, the venue 440 mayprovide advertising for a different venue (not shown). For example, ifthe venue 440 is a casino in a large city, such as Las Vegas, the server432 may provide ad content for a related business down the street oreven for a third-party business with whom the venue 440 has contractedto provide advertising to the UE 400. For example, the AP 448 mayprovide advertising for a convention at a different venue or for aboxing match at a different venue. Thus, advertising content may or maynot be related to the venue 440 in which the UE 400 is presentlylocated.

FIG. 4 illustrates a system architecture that allows operation of thesystem across multiple venues. As discussed above with respect to FIG.3, the venue 440 may have a large number of APs 448 distributedthroughout the venue. The various APs are coupled together usingrouters, switches, and the like. Those routers, switches and gatewaysare illustrated in FIG. 4 by the reference 450. Among other things, thegateway 450 allows an interconnection to the network 110 via acommunication link 452, but could be any wide area network. In a typicalembodiment, the network 110 may be implemented as the Internet. Inaddition to the communication link 452, the gateway 450 provides abackhaul 454 to a cloud computing environment designated as a JUMMMPCloud 456. The backhaul 454 may be implemented in a variety of differentmanners using known technology. In one embodiment, the backhaul 454 maybe routed to the JUMMMP Cloud 456 via the network 110.

Within the JUMMMP Cloud 456 are a number of components. A web portalpage and policy controller server 458 controls user authenticationacross a number of different venues in addition to the venue 440. Anetwork management element 460 controls overall operation of the networkin the JUMMMP Cloud 456.

FIG. 4 illustrates a number of different web pages that may bedownloaded to the UE 400 in the venue 440. In one embodiment, the venue440 may include its own server and store its own portal pages. However,such an architecture requires that each venue have a separate server tosupport this functionality. The system in FIG. 4 advantageously utilizesthe web portal page server and policy controller server 458 for multiplevenues. The JUMMMP Cloud 456 may have some common pages for all venues,such as a log-in web page 462. However, even the log-in web page may beunique to the venue 440.

In addition to the log-in web page 462, the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may haveone or more interstitial web pages 464. For example, interstitial webpages may display information about the venue 440 (or advertising forbusinesses within the venue, third party advertising, or advertising forother venues within the JUMMMP network) while the user is waiting forcompletion of the registration verification process. In addition, theJUMMMP Cloud 456 may include one or more welcome web pages 466. Thewelcome web pages 466 may offer various services, such as a credit carddata entry page, and Internet access sign-up page, a voucher code entrypage to permit the user to enter discount voucher data, and the like.For example, the initial registration can provide WiFi connectivity at acertain service level, such as a basic bandwidth. However, the welcomepages may include an offer to upgrade WiFi connectivity to a higherbandwidth for an advertised price. If the user is a guest at the venue440, the charge can be automatically made to the user's room. In anotherembodiment, the user's phone may be charged for the upgraded bandwidthservice. Other similar services may be provided in the welcome web pages466.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the interstitial web pages464 and the welcome web pages 466 may be unique to the venue 440. Eventhough these web pages may be unique to the venue, the centralized webportal page server 458 within the JUMMMP Cloud 456 simplifies theoverall system architecture within the venue 440 and within other venuesby eliminating the need for a portal page server within each venue.

A local ad server 468 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may provide ads for thevenue 440. As discussed above, the ads may be for the venue 440 itselfor for the related businesses 442-446 (see FIG. 3). In addition, the adsmay be for businesses near the venue 440 (or for other venues in theJUMMMP network). The centralized ad server 468 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456simplifies the network architecture within the venue 440 and othervenues by eliminating the need for an ad server within each venue.

A data base server 470 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may be configured tocollect a broad range of information regarding the UEs 400 (includingthe user profile information stored in the memory 156 (see FIG. 2) ofthe UE that was provided when the UE was first identified in the venue.The profile information will help provide targeting marketing andadvertising to the UE as it traverses the venue). As previouslydiscussed, data messages may include geo-location data. The geo-locationdata (e.g., longitude and latitude) can be obtained in several possibleways. In one embodiment, the wireless communication device (e.g., the UE400 in FIG. 7) may have built-in GPS. Other possible locationdetermination technologies include WiFi, 3G, approximationtriangulation, or last-known location of the user. Other known locationtechnologies may also be implemented in the system 100. For example, theUE 400 will communicate with different ones of the access point 448 inthe venue 440 shown in FIG. 3. As the UE 400 moves throughout the venue,new communication links are established with nearby access points 448.By identifying which access point 448 the UE 400 is communicating with,it is possible to determine the location of the UE 400 with a reasonabledegree of accuracy. The database server 470 is configured to storelocation information, along with time/date data to thereby trackmovements of the UE 400. In one embodiment, the database server 470 canalso be configured to store message data from the UEs 400 throughout thesystem 100. In yet another embodiment, the database server 470 may alsostore user profiles for the UE 400 as well as profile data collected bythe UE 400 from other JUMMMP users. In one configuration, the API, whichis installed on the UE 400 as part of the verification process describedabove, is configured to generate the “heartbeat” signal thatperiodically reports location data back to the database server 470. Thelocation data may include a time/date stamp to provide locationinformation for the UE 400. This information can be useful for marketingpurposes. Using the example of FIG. 3, where the casino venue 440includes a large area as well as related businesses 442-446, thedatabase server 470 can determine how long the UE 400 remains in aparticular area (e.g., one area of the casino), how many times and howlong the UE remains at the bar, in a nightclub or the like. Bycollecting this information, the database server 470 can establish auser profile for the UE 400 for marketing purposes.

The JUMMMP Cloud 456 also includes an IP transfer point 472, which iscoupled to a mobile operator network 474 via a communication link 476.As those skilled in the art will appreciate, mobile data offloading,also called data offloading, involves the use of complementary networktechnologies for delivering data originally targeted for cellularnetworks, such as the mobile operator network 474. In areas where thecellular network traffic is heavy, network congestion may occur. Toreduce congestion, mobile network operators sometimes set up WiFi accesspoints in areas of congestion and allow some of the data originallytargeted for the mobile operator network 474 to be carried by the WiFinetwork. Rules triggering the mobile offloading action can be set by anend user (i.e., the mobile subscriber) or the mobile network operator.The software code operating on the offloading rules can reside in the UE400, in a server, or divided between these two devices. For the endusers, the purpose of mobile data offloading may be based on the costfor data service and the ability of higher bandwidth. For mobile networkoperators, the main purpose for offloading is to reduce congestion ofthe cellular network. The primary complementary network technologiesused for mobile data offloading are WiFi, femtocells, and integratedmobile broadcast.

In a typical embodiment, each mobile network operator has its own WiFinetwork to offload data that would otherwise be carried on itsparticular mobile operator network. In the context of FIG. 4, the APs448 within the venue 440 do not belong to the operator of the mobileoperator network 474 as is normally the case in data offloading. In theimplementation described in the present disclosure, the data offloadingis provided by the venue 440 through contract with the mobile operatornetwork 474. Although FIG. 4 illustrates only a single mobile operatornetwork 474, those skilled in the art will appreciate that it isrepresentative of one or more mobile operator networks. In operation,each mobile operator network contracts with the venue 440, eitherdirectly or with the JUMMMP Cloud 456, to provide data offloading in thevenue. When the UE 400 enters the venue, the mobile network operator isnotified and the mobile operator network 474 can determine whether ornot to offload data traffic for that UE. If data offloading for the UEis approved in accordance with the rules described above, Internetaccess, text messaging, and even telephone calls can be provided to theUE 400 via a connection from the mobile operator network 474 through thecommunication link 476 to the IP transfer point 472 within the JUMMMPCloud 456. In turn, that offloaded data is routed through the backhaul454 to an AP 448 and ultimately to the UE 440. Similarly, outgoing callsfrom the UE 400 may be routed in the reverse fashion. This approach hasthe beneficial effect of offloading traffic from an otherwise congestedmobile operator network 474. In addition, the mobile network operatormay find improved performance because direct communication with the UE400 through the RAN (e.g., the RAN 406 in FIG. 1) may not work well whenthe UE 400 is inside a building, such as the venue 440. Thus, improvedreception and reduction in network congestion are double benefits of theIP offloading provided by the JUMMMP Cloud 456.

The UE 400 must register with the system 100 at some initial point intime. The initial registration can be performed remotely using, by wayof example, a personal computer connected to the JUMMMP Cloud 456 viathe network 110. In another variation, the UE can perform an initialregistration as it enters the venue 440 illustrated in FIG. 4, asdescribed above. When the UE 400 initially contacts the AP 448, thepolicy controller server 458 will not have any data related to aparticular UE 400. In this case, that initial AP 448 in the venue 440may perform an initial registration. For the initial registration, theUE 400 can connect to the initial AP 448 and provide identificationinformation. In an exemplary embodiment, the user can complete theinitial registration process by providing data, such as the telephone ID(i.e., the phone number), a device ID, a user ID, and an email addressas well as other information, such as the user profile data stored inthe memory 156 (see FIG. 2) of the UE 400. The user ID may be a usergenerated name, nickname, or the like. The device ID may vary based onthe particular type of the UE 400. For example, if the UE 400 utilizesan Android™ operating system, the device will be assigned an Android™ID. In addition, the UE 400 may typically be assigned an internationalmobile equipment identification (IMEI). Any of these deviceidentifications alone may be transmitted to the registration server 460.In another alternative embodiment, a unique hash of one or more deviceIDs may be generated and transmitted to the registration server 460 asthe device ID. The short-range transceiver 176 (see FIG. 2) may alsoinclude an identification, such as a MAC address that is unique to theUE 400. The registration data described above can be provided to theregistration server 460 along with the MAC address. The registrationdata may be stored in association with the MAC address. Once the initialregistration process has been completed, subsequent authentications aregreatly simplified. Once the initial registration process is completed,the web portal page server 458 may transmit other pages, such as thelog-in web page 462, one or more interstitial web pages 464, and thewelcome web page 466 shown in FIG. 4.

The UE 400 can also perform the initial registration using aconventional wireless service provider network. As previously discussedthe UE 400 can communicate with the RAN 406 (see FIG. 1) via thewireless communication link 408 in a conventional manner. Those skilledin the art will appreciate that the UE can access the network 110 viathe RAN 406. Conventional wireless service provider components, such asa gateway to the network 110 are known in the art, but not illustratedin FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity. In one embodiment, the UE 400 canperform a registration process with the registration server 460 via theRAN 406. In this embodiment, the UE 400 accesses a website that can beprovided as part of the JUMMMP Cloud 456 illustrated in FIG. 4. In thisexample, the registration server 460 associated with the JUMMMP Cloud456 of FIG. 4 can complete the initial registration process.

In one embodiment, a previously-registered UE 400 may come within rangeof the initial AP 448 in the venue 440 of FIG. 4 and establish awireless communication link therewith. In establishing the communicationlink, the UE 400 transmits its MAC address and/or the phone ID or IMEI.The AP 448 transmits an authentication request message to theregistration server 416 to determine whether the UE 400 is a registereddevice. Based on the MAC address, the registration server can confirmthat the UE 400 has previously registered. Thus, the UE 400 isauthenticated whenever it comes into range of an AP 448 of the system100. This may occur transparently to the user. This automaticauthentication process can occur even if the initial registration was ina completely different part of the country. Thus, the UE 400 may movefrom one venue 440 to another in the same city or region or may be in acompletely different part of the country and be automatically identifiedand authenticated with APs that are part of the system 100 describedherein. This convenient registration and authentication avoids the needfor constantly searching for a WiFi connection as required by othersystems. Based on this automatic authentication process, the UE 400 maybe automatically connected to the WiFi network created by the APs 448 inthe venue. The UE 400 may get welcome greetings from the venue and mayalso receive advertising, offers, discounts, and the like.

The registration process at a single venue has been discussed above withrespect to FIG. 4. The JUMMMP Cloud 456 also advantageously provides acentralized registration function for multiple venues, as illustrated inFIG. 5. The multiple venues 440 are each connected to the JUMMMP Cloud456 via individual respective backhauls 454. If a UE 400 initiallyregisters at Venue 1, using the registration process described above,that registration information is stored in the JUMMMP Cloud 456. At alater point in time when the user enters, by way of example, Venue 2illustrated in FIG. 5, the UE 400 will automatically identify the AP 448and begin to communicate therewith. Because the UE 400 has already beenregistered, that information is passed along to the JUMMMP Cloud 456.This is true even if the various venues 440 are located far from oneanother. For example, an initial registration of the UE may take placeat a sports venue in, by way of example, New York City. However, if theUE 400 is carried to a casino in, by way of example, Las Vegas, Nev.,the UE 400 will automatically begin to communicate with the AP 448 inthe new venue in Las Vegas. Because each venue is coupled to the JUMMMPCloud 456, the UE 400 need not undergo another registration process whenit enters the venue 440 in Las Vegas. Thus, a single registrationprocess at any venue is sufficient for registration with the JUMMMPCloud 456. Whenever the UE 400 goes into a different venue 440 that iscoupled to the JUMMMP Cloud 456, the UE 400 is automatically recognizedand authenticated. During the automatic authentication process, theJUMMMP Cloud 456 may provide interstitial portal pages 464 to the UE400. Upon completion of the automatic registration process, welcomeportal pages 466 may then be transmitted to the UE 400.

In another example of a business-related implementation, the venue 440may be a football stadium, as illustrated in FIG. 6, or some othersports venue. In this embodiment, the APs 448 are distributed throughoutthe structure of the sports venue. The UE 400 communicates with one ormore of the APs 448 in the manner described above. The UE 400 canperform an initial registration process or an automatic re-registrationprocess, as described above. The APs 448 maintain virtually continuouscontact with the UE 400 while it is within the sports venue 440. Asdiscussed with respect to FIG. 4, the APs 448 are coupled to the gateway450 to allow the JUMMMP Cloud 456 to disseminate information to the UE400 in the manner described above. The disseminated information may bein the form of advertisements from vendors within the venue 440. Forexample, the UE 400 can communicate with the JUMMMP Cloud 456 via one ormore AP 448 to retrieve a map of the stadium, to order food for pick-upat a designated spot or to order food for delivery directly to theuser's seat in the stadium. The bi-directional communication capabilitybetween the UE 400 and the APs 448 permits audience participation withthe venue 440. Ordering food for delivery to the user's seat is alimited level of audience participation. However, as described ingreater detail below, the communication links formed between multipleUEs and multiple APs in the venue 400 permits a much greater degree ofaudience participation. Other information from the local ad server 468in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may provide discount coupons to the stadiumsports clothing vendor to use during or following the game.

The JUMMMP Cloud 456 may also provide streaming video to the UE 400. Forexample, if the sports venue in FIG. 6 is a football stadium, the JUMMMPCloud 456 may provide streaming video highlights or even complete gamesfrom a different football stadium that is also coupled to the JUMMMPCloud 456. While some stadiums provide selected replays on a largescreen TV or other display 478 for fans, such displays are not availableif the user is away from the field to get a drink, go to the bathroom,etc. However, with the system described herein, the instant replay maybe provided directly to the UE 400 at virtually any location throughoutthe sports venue 440. In this embodiment, the instant replay may bemulticast to all UEs within the sports venue 440 by the multitude of APs448.

In another embodiment, the UE 400 may be request instant replay videofrom the JUMMMP Cloud 456. In this example, a customized replay videomay be provided specifically to the UE 400 rather than a multicast toall UEs within the sports venue 440. The request for customized videomay be related to the sports venue 440 in which the UE is presentlylocated or may be a request for replay video or streaming video from adifferent sports venue.

In the example of FIG. 6, the data delivered from the local ad server468 (see FIG. 7) to the UE 400 may be related to the specific venue 440,such as advertisements for related businesses (not shown). In otherexamples, the data provided to the UE 400, such as instant replay videodata, is directly related to the sporting event itself. In both cases,the data provided to the UE 400, or received from the UE 400 relates tothe particular venue 440. Alternatively, the local ad server 468 mayprovide advertising to unrelated businesses, such as a coupon for anearby restaurant that can be used following the sporting event.

In one embodiment, the instant replay for the venue 440 (see FIG. 4) maybe provided by the JUMMMP Cloud 456 in the manner described above. Inyet another embodiment, the local server 432 (see FIG. 1) within thevenue 440 may provide some services, such as the streaming media orinstant reply for activities within that local sports stadium.

The authentication process for the UE 400 has already been described indetail above. In one aspect of the initial registration, the user canprovide credit card or other financial information. In the example ofthe casino venue 440 in FIG. 3, the user may provide credit cardinformation for a hotel room in the casino, upgrades, such as abandwidth upgrade, performance tickets, or the like. In one embodiment,the financial information may be stored in an encrypted or protectedform on the JUMMMP Cloud 456. At a subsequent time, such as when theuser enters the sports venue 440 in FIG. 6, the automatic authenticationprocess described above will occur in a manner transparent to the user.In an alternative embodiment, the UE may order food and drink to bedelivered directly to the user's seat within the sports venue. In thisaspect, the UE 400 communicates with one of the APs 448 to select a foodordering menu from the welcome web pages 466. The credit card associatedwith the UE 400 may be charged for the food, which may be delivereddirectly to the user's seat in the sports venue.

In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 7, the venue 440 is a fixed location,such as a casino venue in FIG. 3 and the sports venue in FIG. 6. FIG. 7illustrates a cruise ship venue 440 in which the entire venue is mobile.As illustrated in FIG. 7, a number of APs 448 are distributed throughoutthe ship. Although FIG. 7 illustrates only a top view of a single deck,those skilled in the art will appreciate that a plurality of the APs 448are distributed throughout the ship at various deck levels to providecomplete coverage throughout the cruise ship venue 440. In this example,the UE 400 will register with one of the APs 448 as soon as the usercomes within range of the cruise ship venue 440. As discussed above, ifUE 400 has been previously registered with the JUMMMP Cloud 456 (seeFIG. 4), the automatic authentication process will occur in a mannertransparent to the user. Thus, the UE 400 is automatically authenticatedas soon as the user boards the cruise ship venue 440. The on-boardvendors can be authenticated vendors and data (ads, coupons, etc.) canbe delivered in the manner described above with respect to other venues.In addition, authenticated vendors at ports-of-call can provide data tothe authenticated UE 400. In this manner a passenger can receive couponsor other data, such as on-shore activity information, to provide a moreenjoyable cruise experience to the passenger.

The UE 400 maintains complete contact with the WiFi network provided bythe plurality of APs 448 so long as the UE is on the cruise ship. If theuser participates in an on-shore activity, the UE 400 will beautomatically re-authenticated when the user returns to the cruise shipvenue 440. In this embodiment, the gateway 450 (see FIG. 4) on thecruise ship may communicate with the JUMMMP Cloud 456 via a satellitelink (not shown) or other radio communication link well known in theart.

In the examples provided above, the APs 448 are in fixed locationsthroughout the venue 440 to maximize coverage throughout the venue. Thisis true whether the venue 440 is a fixed facility, such as the casinovenue or sports venue or whether the venue is in motion, such as thecruise ship venue. However, the system described herein is flexibleenough to provide temporary coverage in a venue that does not havepreexisting coverage. For example, a concert hall may not have existingcoverage through a network of APs as described above. For example, aconcert venue at the state fair may be temporary in nature. Similarly, aconcert venue may be constructed temporarily at an open air location(e.g. Woodstock or a speedway). In yet another example, some venues,such as a racetrack that is constructed temporarily, may not have anexisting infrastructure of APs 448. In yet another example embodiment,the system described herein can provide a temporary mobile venueinfrastructure, which may be referred to herein as “WiFi on Wheels”(WoW). An example of a WoW implementation is illustrated in FIG. 8. Theexample of FIG. 8 is a temporary concert venue, such as may be common ata state fair or other location. A stage 480 and grandstands 482 may bepositioned within the venue. The location of the APs 448 throughout thevenue 440 may be dependent on the location of the stage 480 and thegrandstands 482 to provide the necessary coverage. In this embodiment,the APs 448 may be mounted on existing infrastructure, such as telephonepoles, light poles, and the like. The APs may also be mounted directlyto the stage 480 or the grandstand 482. A control truck 488 or othermobile vehicle may contain the additional infrastructure for thetemporary concert venue 440. For example, the control truck 488 maycontain the router switches gateway 450 (see FIG. 4) to provide thenecessary connection to the JUMMMP Cloud 456. The control truck 488 mayalso include a satellite link to implement the backhaul 454. Thebackhaul 454 can also be implemented as a microwave link from thecontrol truck 488 or a hardwired connection if available. Thus, the WoWimplementation of FIG. 8 can be set up and removed in a relatively shortperiod of time.

In operation, the temporary concert venue 440 operates in the samemanner described above with respect to other venues. That is, the UE 400is automatically authenticated if the UE 400 has previously beenauthenticated with the JUMMMP Cloud 456. If the UE 400 has never beenregistered with the JUMMMP Cloud 456, the UE undergoes an initialregistration process described above with respect to FIG. 4. Thus, thetemporary concert venue 440 operates in a functionally identical mannerto the fixed venues described above.

One way to enhance a user experience in a venue is to provideopportunities for greater audience participation within the venue.Although examples may be provided for specific venues, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that these examples, or other similar examples,are applicable to many different venues including, but not limited to, ashopping mall, theater, concert, sports stadium, casino, cruise ships,and the like.

One readily implemented form of audience participation is game playwithin a particular venue. In one aspect, the venue can control gameplay with a large number of UEs and provide points to winners that maybe redeemable in the forms of goods or services at the venue. In anotheraspect, the points may be accumulated and stored in a user account onthe database server 470 (see FIG. 4) in the JUMMMP Cloud 456. Pointsthat are centrally stored may be redeemed at different participatingvenues. In this embodiment, the accumulated points from one venue arestored in the database server 470 in association with the user ID. Whenredeeming the accumulated points at the same or a different venue, theUE recalls the accumulated points data from the database server 470 forredemption at the selected venue.

The game play activities can include single player games where oneindividual operates his UE in cooperation with the venue 440. Inaddition, there may be phone-to-phone games between two people. In yetanother alternative, the game can be a multi-player game played onmultiple UEs.

An example of a single player game may be a trivia game where the useranswers questions transmitted to the UE by an AP 448 within the venue440. For example, the user can arrive at a sports stadium venue 440(e.g., see FIG. 6) prior to the start of the sporting event. Whileawaiting the start of the event, the user can answer trivia questionsabout his home team, visiting team, the particular sport being viewed,general sports questions, questions about current events, pop culture,or the like. If the game play available prior to the start of thesporting event is interesting, the user may be encouraged to arrive atthe sports venue earlier than normal to participate in the game playevents. The sports venue may benefit by increasing its sales of food,beverages, sports clothing, souvenirs, and the like.

The trivia game described above can easily be extended to all attendeeseven though the participants are communicating separately via theirindividual UEs. In one example, trivia questions can be displayed on thedisplay 154 (see FIG. 2) of the UE 400 or displayed on the large displayscreen 478 (see FIG. 6) at the venue itself. In one example, thequestion is displayed on the large display screen 478 at the venue andthe possible answers are displayed on the display 154 of the UE 400 forselection by the user. Answers are transmitted to the APs 448 and can beevaluated by a local server (e.g. the server 432 in FIG. 1) or by thedatabase server 470 (see FIG. 4) in the JUMMMP Cloud 456. The localserver 432 or database server 470 records and grades the answers todetermine winners. If a user answers correctly, they receive points. Forexample, a trivia game may comprise ten questions. In one example, allparticipants can receive points for correct answers out of the tentrivia questions. In addition, top scoring individuals can win anadditional prize, such as a gift coupon to be redeemed at the venue orredeemed at a nearby venue, such as a restaurant. If there are multiplewinning entrants, the local server 432 or the database server 470 canrandomly select one winner from amongst the winning participants.

In another example of multiple participants, the large stadium display478 can include animated games that can be viewed by all spectators. Forexample, a popular stadium game includes three cups where a ball isplaced under one cup. The cups are shuffled around for several secondsand participants are then asked to select the cup under which they thinkthe ball will be found. In an updated implementation of this game, thedisplay 154 of the UE 400 could display the options (e.g., cup A, cup B,and cup C) and allow the users to make their choice. The answers aretransmitted to the APs 448 and can be evaluated by the local server 432or the database server 470 and points awarded in the manner describedabove. Other types of animated race games (e.g., car race, horse race,boat race, and the like) can be similarly displayed on a large screen inthe venue where the participants make their selections using their UEs.As described above, winning selections will score points.

In yet another example of an audience participation game, there can be avirtual beach ball that moves from one AP 448 to another AP. All of theUEs 400 connected to the first AP 448 have a beach ball that appears onthe display 154 (see FIG. 2). As the beach ball appears on the display154 of one UE, the user may tap, slide, or otherwise manipulate theimage, or move the entire UE, to cause the beach ball to move off of thedisplay of the UEs connected to the first AP and onto the display of adifferent group of UEs 400 connected to another AP 448. The beach ballmay “bounce” from one AP 448 to another as it gets hit from device todevice as real beach balls are often bounced around in a concert. Thebeach ball could go randomly from one AP 448 to another or may move inaccordance with the motions of the user of the UE 400 on which the beachball appears.

Other audience participation games can include user control ofactivities that are displayed on the large screen 478 in the venue sothat non-participants can view the action. For example, users could signup for an animated auto race game that will be projected on the largestadium display 478 in the venue. The sports venue can randomly selectfrom among the plurality of attendees that have signed up for theactivity and conduct preliminary races and final races. Using the racecar example, a preliminary race may have five participants. The user canmanipulate their UE 400 to provide appropriate control (i.e.acceleration, braking, and steering) with the results of that controlbeing shown on the large screen 478 so that everyone can watch the race.In a preliminary race, the five contestants race around the track andthe winner can advance to a subsequent round. Those skilled in the artcan appreciate that this type of activity can take place during a lullin the sporting activity, such as a timeout at a football game,basketball game, or the like. With each successive round of preliminaryraces, the winner is chosen to move on to a final round. For example,five preliminary rounds could each have five racers with the winner ofeach round moving to the finals. After all finalists are selected, anadditional race is run to select the overall champion. Those whoparticipate at all may get some points, winners of the preliminaryrounds get additional points, and the overall winner may receive evenmore points. The goal of all this activity is to increase audienceparticipation and activity at the selected venue. If there is sufficientinterest generated at the venue, the audience will arrive earlier, bemore active, and stay longer. This may allow the venue to generateincreased revenue through advertising and through increased andlengthened attendance.

In a variation of the race game described above, other audience memberscan “bet” on a winner in the preliminary rounds and/or the final round.Those selecting the correct winner can receive additional points. Thus,even though an audience member is not actively participating in a game,they may still participate by making their selection for the winner.

Although the race game described above involved individuals, it ispossible to extend this concept to team activities as well. Multipleaudience members may sign up in advance to form a team to play a teamgame on the large display screen at the venue. For example, audiencemembers at a hockey game can form their own teams and play team videohockey against other teams in the sports venue. As with the race carexample provided above, hockey games can be short in nature with winnersadvancing to further rounds. Again, non-playing audience members canparticipate by selecting the winning player or winning team and receivepoints for their correct choices.

In another example of audience participation, the large stadium display478 at a venue may be used to display audience preferences, such as afavorite team, favorite player on the team, and the like. Votingstatistics can be shown on the stadium display 478 and/or on the display154 (see FIG. 2) of the UE.

Another example of audience participation, the words for a sing-a-longcan be displayed on the display 154 of the UE 400 to allow audiencemembers to sing along. In a concert venue, the words may be the words ofa song being presently performed. The concert venue can also give awaysongs for free that can be downloaded via an AP 448 or a password may beprovided to the UE to provide download authorization at a later time.Thus, the form of audience interaction may be varied from one venue toanother.

In yet another example, of audience participation, a cruise ship venue(see FIG. 7) may run a treasure hunt where the participants collectclues using their UEs. For example, participants can receive a firstclue and must use the clue to find their way to a particular location inthe cruise ship to receive another clue. In this example, the clue mayonly be provided by a single one or small group of the APs 448. Unlessthe participant correctly interprets the first clue and moves to alocation in proximity with the selected AP 448, they will not receivethe second clue. In turn, the second clue may lead a participant toanother part of the cruise ship where they will come into contact withyet another one of the plurality of APs 448 distributed throughout theship. Once they are in proximity with that AP, they will receive anadditional clue. Participants may have to answer questions or makeselections using their UE 400 to receive the next clue from the AP 448.Participants can receive points for getting some clues and the winnercan receive additional points or other prizes. While such an audienceparticipation game is not well-suited to a concert or sports venue (youdon't want the entire audience running around the venue), it may bewell-suited for other venues, such as the cruise ship, or a casino. Inanother embodiment, participants may form teams and participate in agame that requires individual team members to go to different locationswithin the cruise ship to receive a clue or a portion of the clue. Afterreceiving their clues, the team members must put together the pieces anddetermine the appropriate course of action. Thus, the games may bevaried to permit individual participation or to encourage larger groupparticipation activities.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the treasure hunt examplepresented herein can be extended beyond a single venue. For example, atreasure hunt could be expanded to an entire neighborhood or city wherethe participants receive a clue from one AP 448 via the participant's UE400. Correct interpretation of the clue will lead the participant to anarea where they within the coverage of a different AP 448 where the UE440 will receive another clue. The participant may have to answer aquestion or make a selection using their UE 400 to receive the next cluefrom the AP 448. Correct interpretation of all the clues will leadparticipants to the “treasure.” Winners can receive prizes or points asdescribed above.

In the example of a casino, you may want users to move throughout thecasino venue by following certain clues. In doing so, the participantsare also effectively exploring the casino and may return to certainportions of the casino upon completion of the game or may decide tosimply stop the game and stay at their present location. Again, theoverall goal is to increase the user experience by encouraging audienceparticipation within the venue. The games also include an advertisingcomponent and promotions for future events at the venue.

In yet another form of audience participation, the venue 440 maytransmit image data to one or more UEs. For example, it is possible toeffectively “project” an image, advertising, video data, multimediadata, and the like onto one or more UEs in the venue by transmitting thedata to one or more UEs. FIG. 9 illustrates a number of UEs that haveall, for the sake of convenience, been given the reference number 400.In this embodiment, each UE 400 may receive a static ad or video. Thesame data is sent to all UEs from all of the APs 448 in the venue 440(see FIG. 3 and FIGS. 6-8). In this manner, every UE that isauthenticated by the system 100 will receive the same ad. The ad may besent as a Public Message so that any UE 400 within range of an AP 448within the venue 440 will receive the message. Alternatively, each UEmay be designated as a group member when the UE is initiallyauthenticated at the venue 440. In this manner, the ad would be sent asa Group Message and directed only to those UEs that had beenauthenticated as members of the group. This would prevent the ad frombeing disseminated to other UEs that may come within proximity of the UE400 and avoid the ad being disseminated through message synchronization,as described above.

In yet another alternative embodiment, the UEs 400 shown in FIG. 9 mayreceive a live video feed from the venue 440. For example, in theconcert venue of FIG. 8, there may be video cameras positioned at one ormore locations around the stage 480. Members of the audience that havean authenticated UE 400 can receive one or more of the video feeds showndirectly on the display 154 (see FIG. 2) of the UE. In an exemplaryembodiment, either the venue 440 or the JUMMMP Cloud 456 provides avideo feed to all of the APs 448 within a venue or to selected APswithin the venue. The UE 400 receives the video from the AP 448 to whichit is connected.

In another alternative embodiment, the venue can send a portion of animage, video signal, or the like to each UE 400 such that a collectionof the UEs 400 effectively combine the image data in the form of digitalsignage. In this embodiment, a static image, video, or the like isessentially pixelated such that each UE is essentially a pixel in anoverall image. By holding up the UEs, the entire image may be viewed.For example, FIG. 10 shows an array of the UEs 400 where selected UEshave been blackened out to form the numeral 7. Although FIG. 10illustrates only simple images formed by a few UEs 400, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that a large number of UEs can be programmed toproduce complex images, such as team logos, videos, and the like.

The image of FIG. 10 is a simple black and white image. However, thevenue 440 can easily transmit color pixel information to a large numberof UEs 400 to form complex color images as well. In the example of FIG.10, the colors of the blackened UEs 400 could have one team color whilethe whitened UEs 400 could have a second team color or selectedbackground color. In the example of FIG. 10, the UEs 400 may form anumeric display that counts down from 7, as shown in FIG. 10, to zeroand then project some other selected design.

In this embodiment, each UE forms a pixel in a larger display that caninclude cue cards, photos, or the like to collectively display an image.As noted above, the image may be a static image, video, or a staticdesign or design in motion, such as an advertisement.

To properly display a large image using individual UEs as pixels, itwill be important to know the precise location of each UE within thevenue. For example, in the sports venue 440 of FIG. 6, each individualhas a ticket with an assigned seat. Upon authentication of the UE 400,the user can provide the seat number or scan a QR code that includes theseat information so that the precise location of each UE 400 is known.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other techniques can beused to determine the precise location of UEs 400 within the venue 440.For example, GPS data may be available on some or all of the UEs 400.Information contained within the heartbeat signal, described above, canbe used to provide accurate location information for each UE 400. Inaddition, the system can determine the location of the UEs 400 based onsignal strength measurements from various APs 448 throughout the venue440.

In another example embodiment, the multiple UEs 400 can be used tocreate a light show. For example, an exploding firework can be displayedon an array of UEs 400 by programming individual ones of the UEs tochange colors at the appropriate moment in time. The exploding fireworkscan be accompanied by music transmitted to the individual UEs or playedthrough a venue sound system.

In yet another example, the UEs 400 can be used to synchronize otheraudience activity in the venue 440. For example, in the sports stadiumvenue 440 in FIG. 6, it is common to have fans stand up and sit down asa “wave” moves around the stadium. In this example, the APs 448 can beprogrammed to signal the individual fans when to stand up and when tosit down. For example, the UEs 440 connected to selected APs 448 can beprogrammed to have a white display screen for a particular AP at aparticular time. The white display screen data “moves” from one set ofselected APs to another such that the EUs connected to those APs willreceive data to turn the display white. As the white screens “move” fromone AP to another, the venue effectively performs a wave. Similarly, thearray of UEs 400 can be used to form a bar in the stadium that extendsfrom near the field to the top of the stands. The fans can stand up asthe bar rotates around the stadium. In yet another alternativeembodiment, the array of UEs throughout the stadium may be programmedwith a visual image of a wave that travels around the stadium in avirtual manner.

In yet another embodiment, the UE 400 could instruct one part of thestadium, such as an end zone portion, to stand when the UEs receiveinstructions to stand, to shout, to sit, and the like. In this manner,the UEs can have different sections of a stadium standing or sitting orcheering in accordance with instructions in a manner that is controlledby instructions received by the individual ones of the UEs 400.

The audience participation can also be extended to advertising. In theexample of FIG. 9, a static image is sent to all UEs 400 within thevenue 440. However, the advertising can also be more directed. Forexample, an AP near a food court in a venue can send ads for businesseswithin the food court to UEs that are in communication with an AP nearthe food court. Alternatively, UEs clustered within range of aparticular AP may receive one image while another cluster of UEs nearthe same AP may receive a different image. In yet another alternative,the advertising can be targeted to an individual UE 400 at a single AP448 based on the heartbeat information and the user profile informationcontained in the database server 470 (see FIG. 4).

UEs can also be grouped together to form a light show. For example,music may be played through the individual UEs or through the venuesound system. Data can be sent to individual UEs, clusters of UEs,and/or an array of UEs to form a pixelated image, or to all UEs withinthe venue such that the image on the UEs changes in synchrony with themusic. Each AP can send information to control the flashing of mobiledevices at that particular AP using different flash rates, differentcolors, images, and the like.

In an example described above, video data was distributed to various APsand downloaded to the UEs in a venue. However, the API in the UE 400 isconfigured to pull content from a server or to receive content pushedfrom a server. In order to minimize traffic associated with all mobiledevices connected to a server simultaneously to get content, it ispossible for a selected few UEs to connect to the server to get content.In turn, the selected UEs can communicate with other nearby UEs in apeer-to-peer mode to distribute the content to other mobile devices. Asdescribed above, the UEs can be configured to synchronize messages,which may be in the form of text, image data, audio, video, multimediadata, or the like. In this embodiment, an AP 448 can function as the hotspot in order to help disseminate information amongst the UEs. Thisreduces the overall number of UEs that are required to be connected tothe server simultaneously to receive pushed content.

In another alternative embodiment, it is possible to preload video dataonto a UE prior to entering the venue, or upon entering the venue, butbefore the video will be displayed. For example, prior to a concert, aUE can download a pre-determined set of videos. During the concert,commands can be sent to play the canned videos that are resident on theUE. This may be done on a venue-wide basis, or separately for each AP orgroup of APs. In an alternative embodiment, videos can be preloaded intoa UE as soon as the UE is authenticated at the venue 440. In thisimplementation, the videos are automatically and transparently (to theuser) downloaded via the APs prior to being used. In operation, the APscan send commands to play the recently downloaded videos.

As discussed above, the UEs can be configured to synchronize messages.In an embodiment where video data is downloaded upon arrival andauthentication at the venue 440, the first UEs to receive the data maysubsequently synchronize with other UEs that arrive later so that allUEs contain the video data prior to the concert start time.

In yet another alternative embodiment, audience participation can takethe form of the audience providing images to assist in the creation of apicture wall or blanket. At an event, individual UEs having the imagingdevice 180 (see FIG. 2) can take photos and submit them, via the APs 448to a centralized server (e.g., the local server 432 in FIG. 1 or thedatabase server 470 in FIG. 4). The individual images submitted by thevarious UEs can be assembled into a photo montage that can betransmitted to each of the UEs for portrayal on the display 154 (seeFIG. 2) or for display on the large stadium screen 478 (see FIG. 6). Theconcert performer can also take photographs onstage and send the imagesto all UEs 400 via the APs 448.

Thus, the communication systems described herein are intended to enhanceaudience participation at a venue through direct involvement of theaudience. The involvement may take the form of game play, digitalsignage, advertising, photo collages, or the like. The bi-directionalcommunication capability described herein enhances the audienceexperience.

The foregoing described embodiments depict different componentscontained within, or connected with, different other components. It isto be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary,and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented whichachieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangementof components to achieve the same functionality is effectively“associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, anytwo components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality canbe seen as “associated with” each other such that the desiredfunctionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedialcomponents. Likewise, any two components so associated can also beviewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to eachother to achieve the desired functionality.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that,based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from this invention and its broader aspects and,therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope allsuch changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scopeof this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that theinvention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will beunderstood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appendedclaims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations).

Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for audience participation usinguser equipment (UE) wireless communication devices in a venue configuredwith a plurality of wireless access points (APs) comprising: determininga location of a selected portion of the UEs within the venue;subdividing an image into smaller image portions; transmittingindividual ones of the image portions to individual ones of the selectedportion of the UEs based on the location of the individual ones of theselected portion of the UEs; and displaying the individual ones of theimage portions on displays of the respective individual ones of theselected portion of the UEs wherein the displays of the respectiveindividual ones of the selected portion of the UEs display theindividual ones of the image portions and collectively display theimage.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected portion of UEs havebeen authenticated in a manner that the identity of the user has beenverified for each UE in the selected portion of UEs and theauthenticated UEs transmit location data to the APs.
 3. The method ofclaim 1 wherein determining the location of a selected portion of theUEs comprises identifying a seat location in the venue for each of theselected portion of the UEs.
 4. The method of claim 3 whereindetermining the seat location comprises each of the selected portion ofthe UEs scanning a graphical code corresponding to the seat location inthe venue and transmitting the graphical code to a server for processingto thereby determine the location in the venue for each of the selectedportion of the UEs.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprisingaltering the image wherein subdividing the image comprises subdividingthe altered image, wherein displaying the individual ones of the imageportions comprises displaying the individual ones of the altered imageportions on displays of the respective individual ones of the selectedportion of the UEs wherein the displays of the respective individualones of the selected portion of the UEs display the individual ones ofthe altered image portions and collectively display the altered image.6. The method of claim 1 wherein the image is a series of video framesand subdividing the image into smaller image portions comprisessequentially subdividing the individual frames in the series of videoframes into smaller image portions for each respective one of theindividual frames in the series of video frames, transmitting individualones of the image portions for each respective one of the individualframes in the series of video frames to individual ones of the selectedportion of the UEs based on the location of the individual ones of theselected portion of the UEs, and displaying the individual ones of theimage portions for each respective one of the individual frames in theseries of video frames on displays of the respective individual ones ofthe selected portion of the UEs wherein the displays of the respectiveindividual ones of the selected portion of the UEs sequentially displaythe individual ones of the image portions in the series of video framesand collectively display the series of video frames.
 7. A method foraudience participation using user equipment (UE) wireless communicationdevices in a geographic area configured with a plurality of wirelessaccess points (APs) comprising: determining a location of each of aplurality of UEs within the geographic area; a server transmitting datato the plurality of UEs wherein the data transmitted to each of theplurality of UEs is based on the location of individual ones of theplurality of UEs within the geographic area; and displaying at least aportion of the received data on displays of the respective individualones of plurality of UEs.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein determiningthe location of each of the plurality of UEs is performed by receivinglocation data from each of the plurality of UEs.
 9. The method of claim7 wherein determining the location of each of the plurality of UEs isperformed using data provided by at least one of the plurality of APs.10. The method of claim 7 wherein determining the location of each ofthe plurality of UEs is performed by determining a proximity of each ofthe plurality of UEs to one of the plurality of APs.
 11. The method ofclaim 7 wherein the geographic area is a venue with seats and the datais an image, the method further comprising: the server subdividing animage into smaller image portions; transmitting individual ones of theimage portions to individual ones of the plurality of UEs based on seatlocations of the individual ones of the plurality of UEs; and displayingthe individual ones of the image portions on displays of the respectiveindividual ones of the plurality of UEs wherein the displays of therespective individual ones of the plurality of UEs display theindividual ones of the image portions and collectively display theimage.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the seat locationof each of the plurality of UEs comprises each of the plurality of UEstransmitting the respective seat locations to the server for processingto thereby determine the location in the venue for each of the pluralityof UEs.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the seat locationcomprises each of the plurality of UEs scanning a graphical codecorresponding to the seat location in the venue and transmitting thegraphical code to the server for processing to thereby determine thelocation in the venue for each of the plurality of UEs.
 14. The methodof claim 11 wherein the image is a series of video frames andsubdividing the image into smaller image portions comprises the serversequentially subdividing the individual frames in the series of videoframes into smaller image portions for each respective one of theindividual frames in the series of video frames, transmitting individualones of the image portions for each respective one of the individualframes in the series of video frames to individual ones of the pluralityof UEs based on the location of the individual ones of the selectedportion of the UEs, and displaying the individual ones of the imageportions for each respective one of the individual frames in the seriesof video frames on displays of the respective individual ones of theselected portion of the UEs wherein the displays of the respectiveindividual ones of the selected portion of the UEs sequentially displaythe individual ones of the image portions in the series of video framesand collectively display the series of video frames.
 15. The method ofclaim 7 wherein the server provides information for transmission by aselected one of the APs to any of the plurality of UEs withincommunication range of the first AP, the information providing aninitial clue to a participant to lead the participant to a new locationthat is within communication range of a second one of the APs; andproviding additional information for transmission by the second one ofthe APs to UEs within communication range of the second AP, theadditional information providing an additional clue to the participantto thereby lead the participant to a final location wherein the firstparticipant to reach the final location is a contest winner.
 16. Themethod of claim 15 wherein the server provides the additionalinformation for transmission by the second one of the APs to UEs withincommunication range of the second AP only if the UE was previouslywithin range of the first AP.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein leadingthe participant to a new location and providing additional informationis repeated for a plurality of APs wherein the participant must followthe clues to reach the final destination.
 18. The method of claim 15wherein the initial clue provides information to respond to a query, themethod further comprising: transmitting the query by the second one ofthe APs; receiving a response to the query from the participant UE; andverifying that the response to the query is correct, wherein providingadditional information for transmission by the second AP to theparticipant UE only occurs if the response to the query is correct. 19.A method for audience participation using a plurality of user equipment(UE) wireless communication devices in a venue configured with aplurality of wireless access points (APs) comprising: establishing acommunication link between a first of the plurality of APs and a firstof the plurality of the UEs within the venue; downloading data from thefirst AP and the first UE; establishing a direct communication linkbetween the first UE and a second of the plurality of the UEs within thevenue; and transferring the downloaded data from the first UE directlyto the second UE using the direct communication link wherein thetransferring of the downloaded data from the first UE to the second UEdoes not utilize any of the plurality of APs.
 20. The method of claim19, further comprising configuring the first UE as a wireless hotspot tothereby enable the establishment of the direct communication linkbetween the first UE and the second UE.
 21. A system to permit audienceparticipation in a geographic area using user equipment (UE) wirelesscommunication devices comprising: a plurality of wireless access points(APs) each having an area of radio coverage, each of the plurality ofAPs being configured to communicate with any of the plurality of UEswithin the area of coverage of the respective APs; a servercommunicatively coupled to the plurality of APs and configured toprovide data to each of the plurality of APs and to receive locationdata from each of the plurality of UEs, the server being furtherconfigured to process the location data and to provide data to at leasta portion of the APs for transmission to the UEs wherein the datatransmitted to each of the plurality of UEs is based on the location ofindividual ones of the plurality of UEs within the geographic area. 22.The system of claim 21 wherein the server is configured to receivelocation data in the form of global positioning data received from atleast a portion of the plurality of UEs.
 23. The system of claim 21wherein the server is configured to receive location data in the form oflocation data provided by at least one of the plurality of APs.
 24. Thesystem of claim 21 wherein the server is configured to receive locationdata based on a determination of a proximity of each of the plurality ofUEs to one of the plurality of APs.
 25. The system of claim 21 whereinthe geographic area is a venue with seats and the data is an image, thesystem further comprising: the server being configured to subdividingthe image into smaller image portions and to provide individual ones ofthe image portions to individual ones of plurality of APs fortransmission to individual ones of the plurality of UEs based on seatlocations of the individual ones of the plurality of UEs to therebyenable the individual ones of the plurality of UEs to display thecorresponding individual ones of the image portions on displays of therespective individual ones of the plurality of UEs wherein the displaysof the respective individual ones of the plurality of UEs display theindividual ones of the image portions and collectively display theimage.
 26. The system of claim 25 wherein the server is configured toreceive location data in the form of seat location data transmitted byeach of the plurality of UEs indicating the respective seat locations tothe server for processing to thereby determine the location in the venuefor each of the plurality of UEs.
 27. The system of claim 26 wherein theserver is configured to receive location data in the form of seatlocation data generated by each of the plurality of UEs scanning agraphical code corresponding to the seat location in the venue andtransmitting the graphical code to the server for processing to therebydetermine the location in the venue for each of the plurality of UEs.28. The system of claim 25 wherein the image is a series of video framesand the server is further configured to sequentially subdivide theindividual frames in the series of video frames into smaller imageportions for each respective one of the individual frames in the seriesof video frames and to provide individual ones of the image portions foreach respective one of the individual frames in the series of videoframes to individual ones of plurality of APs for transmission toindividual ones of the plurality of UEs based on the location of theindividual ones of plurality of UEs to thereby enable the individualones of the plurality of UEs to display the corresponding individualones of the image portions for each respective one of the individualframes in the series of video frames on displays of the respectiveindividual ones of the plurality of UEs wherein the displays of therespective individual ones of the plurality of UEs sequentially displaythe individual ones of the image portions in the series of video framesand collectively display the series of video frames.
 29. The system ofclaim 21 wherein the server is configured to provide information fortransmission by a selected one of the APs to any of the plurality of UEswithin communication range of the first AP, the information providing aninitial clue to a participant to lead the participant to a new locationthat is within communication range of a second one of the APs; andwherein the server is further configured to provide additionalinformation for transmission by the second one of the APs to UEs withincommunication range of the second AP, the additional informationproviding an additional clue to the participant to thereby lead theparticipant to a final location wherein the first participant to reachthe final location is a contest winner.
 30. The system of claim 29wherein the server is configured to provide the additional informationfor transmission by the second AP to a particular UE withincommunication range of the second AP only if the server previouslyprovided the information for transmission by the first AP to theparticular UE.
 31. The system of claim 29 wherein the server isconfigured to provide further information for transmission by aplurality of APs wherein the participant must follow the clues providedby the further information to reach the final destination.
 32. Thesystem of claim 29 wherein the initial clue provides information torespond to a query, the system further comprising: the server beingconfigured to provide a query for transmission by the second AP and toreceive a response to the query from the participant UE; and if theserver verifies that the response to the query is correct, the serverproviding the additional information for transmission by the second APto the participant UE.